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In the Interest of M.W.-T. and C.W.-T., Minor Children
State of Iowa, Appellant.
Attorney for Appellant
Mackenzie L. Moran, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for Appellees Intervenors
Andrea McGinn
Guardian ad Litem
Lynn Vogan
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, The Honorable Rachael E. Seymour, Judge. REVERSED AND REMANDED. Considered without oral argument by Ahlers, P.J., and Buller and Sandy, JJ. Opinion by Sandy, J. (13 pages)
After parental rights were terminated, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe moved to transfer the child-custody proceedings to tribal court under Iowa Code chapter 232B (2025). The juvenile court denied the request, finding good cause based on perceived logistical and procedural hardships. OPINION HOLDS: On our de novo review, the record does not support that conclusion. Because the statutory exception to mandatory transfer was not established, the court was required to grant the Tribe’s motion. We therefore reverse and remand for transfer of jurisdiction.
